


Three Beat Count

by aosav



Series: Kageyama Friendships [5]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-05
Updated: 2017-02-05
Packaged: 2018-09-22 09:02:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9599018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aosav/pseuds/aosav
Summary: Kageyama walks in on Kiyoko practicing a waltz.





	

**Author's Note:**

> My understanding of the waltz comes largely from a quick Google search.

When Kageyama sees who is in the gym, he turns around to leave. He thought that someone might be practicing in here, but they aren’t. They aren’t practicing volleyball, anyway.

“Kageyama-kun,” Kiyoko says.

Kageyama stops in the doorway. He turns back around; he doesn’t want to be rude. “Shimizu-san,” he says. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“It’s fine, Kageyama-kun, you haven’t disturbed me,” Kiyoko says. She is not dressed in a way that Kageyama has ever seen her dressed before. She isn’t wearing her school uniform or her volleyball club manager uniform. Her hair is pulled up on top of her head, but some of it has pulled out and is falling down to stick to her neck and her cheeks. She is sweating just a little bit.

Kageyama doesn’t know what to do. He doesn’t really want to be here if no one is playing volleyball, but it would probably be rude to just leave. He looks around the gym.

“Actually,” Kiyoko says, drawing Kageyama's attention back to her. She pushes a few stray strands of hair away from her face. She is looking at Kageyama like she is assessing him. Kageyama stares back at her. Kiyoko pauses, and then nods slightly, though Kageyama doesn’t know what she’s nodding at. “I could use your help,” she says, meeting Kageyama's gaze squarely.

“With what?” Kageyama asks.

There isn’t anything in the gym right now except for Kiyoko and a bag that must be Kiyoko's with an iPod sitting on top of it playing music. It is playing a waltz. That probably should have told Kageyama that whoever was in here wasn’t playing volleyball, but he had been hopeful anyway. He should have just gone home like everyone else has since they don’t have practice today. He doesn’t mind helping Kiyoko – she is their club manager, after all, and Kageyama will do whatever he can to help the club, and besides that Kageyama likes Kiyoko; Kiyoko doesn’t talk too much and she tosses the ball for him sometimes so that he can practice setting alone – but Kageyama doesn’t see anything here that he can help with.

“I’m –” Kiyoko says, but then she hesitates, glancing away from Kageyama. She shifts her arms, clutching at her forearms with her hands. “I’m practicing a waltz for my cousin’s wedding,” she says. “And it’s been a while since the last time I danced.”

Kiyoko stops talking then and looks at Kageyama. Kageyama does not know what she expects him to say. She said she wanted help, but she hasn’t said with what yet.

“I need a partner,” Kiyoko says, finally, still gripping her own arms. “I’ve been practicing alone but it isn’t the same.”

Oh. Kageyama can help with that.

“Okay,” Kageyama says. “I haven’t danced in a while either, though, so I might not remember all the right movements.” He takes off his bag and drops it by the door.

“You used to dance?” Kiyoko asks.

“Yes,” Kageyama says. His parents insisted that he take every class of every kind that they could find when he was in elementary school. By middle school, they stopped caring what Kageyama did, so he hasn’t danced since then. Kageyama hasn’t done anything but volleyball since it became his choice how he spends his time.

Kageyama walks over to Kiyoko and holds out his hands to her. She takes them. He tries to remember exactly how to hold his body – his shoulders, his feet, his head.

“Do you have any experience waltzing?” Kiyoko asks.

“Yes,” Kageyama says. “Do you want me to lead?” The male partner usually leads, but Kiyoko is Kageyama's upperclassman and he will do whatever she tells him to do.

“Yes, please,” Kiyoko says. “If you don’t mind. I’ll probably just be dancing with my uncles, and they’ll all want to lead, so it will be better to practice that way.”

Kageyama nods. He listens to the music for a moment, then moves with the beat, counting in his head.

The three beat count is simple, and the rhythm of the movements comes easily once Kageyama begins. He fixes his posture as they move, muscle memory kicking in to remind him how to carry himself.

Kiyoko carries herself like a professional dancer and she is very light on her feet, keeping pace with Kageyama in a way that looks effortless and has probably taken her a long time to perfect. She is very graceful.

“You are very good at this,” Kageyama says. He is trying to practice complimenting people. Suga says it will make him a better setter.

“Thank you,” Kiyoko says. “So are you.”

Now that the feel of the waltz has come back to him, Kageyama changes from a stationary box to a rotating box. Kiyoko moves with him easily. She really is elegant. Kageyama rarely bothers to notice things that aren’t about volleyball, but he appreciates Kiyoko's physical control and grace.

“Can we practice an underarm turn?” Kiyoko asks. “I think I’ll be fine to do it, but just in case.”

Kageyama releases her left hand, keeping his now-empty right hand lifted at the correct height and continuing the rotating box. Kiyoko moves into the turn immediately, almost seeming to glide as she spins around, her free arm dipping down and then lifting back up again gracefully, and then takes Kageyama's hand again, all while maintaining the three beat count and the rotation of their box.

Her chin lifts just a little bit higher as their hands meet. She is smiling.

Kageyama likes her smile. He likes the way she steps with just the barest hint of greater surety now than she did before the turn, too. After a few moments, though, her smile fades back into her more neutral expression as she focuses. Kageyama wants her to smile again.

He releases Kiyoko’s hand, keeping his arm up and in position.

Kiyoko's smile is stunning as she spins again and, once again, takes Kageyama's hand.

“You are an excellent partner,” Kiyoko says. “I’m sure my uncles won’t be half as graceful as you.”

“Thank you,” Kageyama says. “You have really good control. You could play volleyball.”

Kiyoko has a good serve, too – Kageyama has seen it. Kiyoko could be very good at volleyball if she practiced.

“I used to do track and field,” Kiyoko says. She releases Kageyama's hand so he lets go as well. Kiyoko spins twice this time before taking Kageyama's hand again. She is smiling again. “I like managing the club,” she says, “but I do miss the athletics sometimes.”

“Why don’t you start doing it again?” Kageyama asks. He can’t imagine ever quitting volleyball, and if he ever did he would definitely start playing again as soon as he could.

Kiyoko shrugs. It almost looks like part of the dance. “I could,” she says, “but it’s my third year of high school and I have so much to do to get ready for college. Managing the volleyball club keeps me busy enough. And besides, I can always pick it up again in college, or even just as a hobby whenever I want.”

That’s true, but Kageyama still can’t imagine giving up volleyball. Kiyoko must not have loved track and field the way that Kageyama loves volleyball, if she is content to give it up for even a few months, let alone years.

The song ends and the gym is suddenly quiet except for Kageyama and Kiyoko's footsteps. They both stop moving at the same time and for a moment they stand there, motionless, hands clasped, staring at each other.

Kageyama wonders if he should let go. Kiyoko doesn’t, though, so he doesn’t either. He wouldn’t mind dancing some more, but Kiyoko is probably satisfied with what they’ve already done. It isn’t like she needed his help in the first place. Kageyama's fingers twitch. He holds Kiyoko's gaze, waiting for her to decide what she wants to do.

Kiyoko says, “Do you know anything about the foxtrot?”

Kageyama does.

Kiyoko cues up another song on her iPod, rejoins Kageyama in the middle of the gym, and off they go.

It’s almost as much fun as volleyball.

Almost.


End file.
